Padres Predicted to Trade for Royals Starting Pitcher on $51 Million Deal

The San Diego Padres are expected to upgrade their starting rotation ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

Coming into the season, many experts believed that the Padres had one of the more uncertain groups of pitchers in the rotation, and this was before injuries took place. The Padres have seen multiple guys go down due to injury, hurting the already limited depth of the staff.

But the trade deadline does offer president of baseball operations A.J. Preller a chance to bring in some new life to the group. Preller has been known for his aggressive but clever tactics with trades, and he could look to go all-in once again.

One player who has been linked with the Padres is former All-Star Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals. MLB writer Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes the Padres will trade for Wacha in what would be a reunion for the two sides. Wacha is currently on a three-year, $51 million deal.

The Case for Michael Wacha

Wacha spent the 2023 season in San Diego, putting together a very solid season for the Padres. Making 24 starts, the right-hander posted an ERA of 3.22, becoming one of the more consistent arms for the team.

The veteran has been in Kansas City for the last three seasons, putting up ERAs under 4.00 each year. This season, Wacha has completed 18 starts, registering an ERA of 3.45 over 114.2 innings.

One area in which Wacha has thrived in his career is the ability to eat innings. The right-hander has thrown at least 124 innings and made 23 starts every year in each of the past six seasons.

This could bode well for the Padres, giving them a player to help take some ease off the bullpen. San Diego has overworked the relief pitchers this season, and adding a player like Wacha could be an underrated move that helps the entire roster.

Wacha, 35, has two more seasons left on his contract, with the veteran scheduled to earn $14 million each year. But 2028 is a club option, giving whatever team he's on some extra flexibility to work with.

With Wacha's age and contract, the cost to trade for him should be much lower than for other guys the Padres have been linked with. Preller has been very good at not giving up too much for non-star players, and the same could happen here.

The Padres don't have too many top-tier prospects to offer in a trade, nor would Preller likely move them for Wacha. But the team has seen a few guys start to break out in the minor leagues this year who could spark interest from the Royals.

Given that the Padres are down a few starters, Wacha could come in to fill a much-needed role. San Diego is expected to get both Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove back at some point following the All-Star Game, but this could be a great insurance move.

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